Dispensing cabinet



E. B. JELKs E-r A1. 1,706,298

DISPENSING CABINET Filed June 2l, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l March i9, 1929.

March 19, 19429. E, B, JELKS ET AL 1,706,298

DISPENSING CABINET Filed June 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. B. Jews l l I INVENTOR I ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

EDWIN' B. J'EIKS .AND JOSEPH W. HARN'ER, 0F QUITMAN',` GEORGIA.

DISPENSING CABINET.

Apncation med :une 21,

Our invention relates to dispensing cabinets and more particularly to a cabinetfor dispensing small packages, such as cigarettes.

An object of the invention is to provide a self-serving type of dispensing cabinet which is operable to actuate a signal upon removal of each package thereby indicating to the clerk, that a package has been removed.

The invention further contemplates an electric signal system for signalling each time a package is withdrawn from the cabinet and which will actuate a second signal upon opening and closing of a cash drawer provided in the cabinet.

It is also an object of the invention to pro vide a single delivery package dispensing machine wherein the packages are continuously fed to the front of the cabinet in a position to be removed therefrom, the latter upon removal, actuating an electrical contact to complete an electric circuit, thus attracting the elerks attention so that he will obtain the purchase price for the removed package.

With the preceding and other objects and advantages in mind, the invention consists in the combination, construction and arrangements of parts and objects to be hereinafter specifically referred to, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective of a package dispensing cabinet constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View through the cabinet;

-Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail View, and

Figure 6 isa perspective of the circuit closed embodied in the invention.

Referring to the invention in detail a cabinet 5 is provided having a hinged door 6 in its rear which extends to the upper wall of the cabinet and normall secured by a suitable lock 7. The top o the cabinet at the front is stepped and provided therein are display compartments 8, each of which comprises a longitudinal extending wall or partition 9 arranged adjacent a window 10 extending the entire length of the cabinet and a horizontal bottom wall `11 extending 1927. Serial No. 200,446.

uppermost compartment is provided with suitable clips upon which smoking pipes are held in display position as shown in Figure 1.

Extending' longitudinally of the cabinet at the rear thereof and supported from its end walls is a horizontally disposed bar 12, and extending from the upper face of this bar to the upper wall of the cabinet is a plurality of spaced vertical partitions 13, the opposite faces of which and the inner faces of the end walls of the cabinet above the bar 12 is provided with pairs of transversely aligned grooves 14, the latter extending at an incline from the rear upper end of the cabinet to the lower open front 14 thereof.

.A longitudinal metallic plate or partition 15 is arranged in each pair of grooves and extends from the rear to the open front of the cabinet providing a plurality of dispensing compartments or shelves for containing merchandise, such as, cigarettes, causing them to gravitate to the opened front 14. In order to retain the packages at the lower ends of the compartments in position to permit them to be removed by the purchaser a rectangular metallic frame 16 is secured to the front of the cabinet around the edges of the open front by fastenings 17 and carried thereby is a plurality of parallel verti-cal flanges 18, each of which extends along and projects abovefthe lower edge of the horizontal rows of merchandise compartments. A laterally ext-ending conductor strip 19 is formed with each of the metallic plates 15, but is insulated therefrom by insulation 20.

To complete an electric circuit connecting an audible signal to be hereinafter described, upon removal of each of the packages in the merchandise compartments, a 'resilient contact arm 21 extending longitudinally below each of the metallic plates 15 with one end attached thereto is provided. The Contact arms are normally disposed with their free ends spaced from the conductor strips 19 and are directly above the packages atgthe cxtreme front of the cabinet so that upon lifting of one of these packages from its compartment the corresponding contact arm will be lifted against the conductor strip to complete an electric circuit. To elimlnate any sharp edges which might cut or mutilate the packages the terminals of the free ends of the contact arms are extended laterally as at 22. A short strip of resilient metal 23 is secured to the upper face of each of the contact arms to increase the resiliency of the latter.

At their rear ends the metallic plates 15 are electrically connected together by splices 24. A vertically extending electricity conductor 25 connects certain of the splices as shown in Figure 3, and has one end attached to a binding post 26 on the underface of the bar 12. Supported upon a horizontal shelf 27 and arranged above the bottom of the cabinet at the rear thereof is a plurality of electric batteries 28 connected together by a conductor wire 29 which extends to one of the binding posts of an electric bell or other audible signal 30. A second conductor 31 leads from the other terminal of the bell and connected with a binding post 32 attached to the shelf. A conductor wire 33 leads from the binding post 32 and is electrically connected to one of the metallic plates 15 as at 34. A return conductor wire 35 connects the binding post 26 and adjacent terminals of one of the batteries 28.

From the description thus far given it follows that upon contact of any one of the resilient arms 23 with the adjacent conductor strip 19 a circuit is completed through the bell, through the conductor 33, back to the batteries by way of the metallic plate 15 to which the actuated resilientarm 1s attached, and conductors 25 and 35.

A cash drawer 36 is slidably mounted in the cabinet below the shelf 27 and the present invention contemplates actuating the audible signal upon opening and closing of the cash drawer. To that end a pair of resilient arms 37 is attached to one of a pair of parallel walls 38 forming with thepshelf 27 a compartment for the drawer 36. These resilient arms are disposed in a recess 39 and are adapted to be engaged by a contact plate 40 carried by one side of the drawer; as illustrated in Figure 2 one of the resilient arms 37 is electrically connected to a binding post 32 by a short conductor 41, while a similar conductor 42 connects the other arm with a binding post 43 arranged adjacent the binding post 32,the latter being electrically connected to one of the batteries 28 by a return conductor 44. The drawer 36 is limited in its opening and closing movement by means of a stop 47 projecting laterally from one of the walls 38 into a horizontal groove 49 in the adjacent face o f the drawer.

It will be observed that as the contact plate 40 bridges contact arms 39 upon the outward or inward movement of the drawer Vtached to each meta a circuit will be completed to the bell, thus indicating that the cash drawer is being opened or closed.

At the rear end of each merchandise compartment the rear end of each of the metallic plates are bent upon themselves to provide card holders 45 for retaining indicia cards 46for the different compartments, thus indicating the class of merchandise for each compartment and permits reiilling of the latter by the vendor without confusion.

What is claimed is 1. In a dispensing cabinet, a plurality of gravity fed article compartments for retaining articles in a position to permit removal from one end thereof, an electrically connected flange at one end of each compartment and insulated therefrom and necessitating the lifting of the articles vertically to remove them from the compartments, and an electric signal in circuit with the flanges, and a vertically movable contact in circuit with the signal and lifted against one of the flanges to complete a circuit to the signal upon lifting of an article from any one of the compartments.

2. A dispensing cabinet including a casing, a plurality of compartments therein for the reception of packages for holding them in a position where one will be disposed at the outlet of each compartment, an upstanding flange disposed at the outlet end of each compartment and all of which being connected with a source of electrical energy, a si nal connected with the flanges and source o electrical energy, and a circuit closer for each compartment to make contact with one of the flanges to com lete a circuit to the signal upon removal ot a package from any one. of the compartments.

3. A dispensing cabinet including a casing, a plurality oflcompartments therein for the reception of packages for holding them in a position where one will be disposed at the outlet of each compartment, an upstand- 110 ling liange disposed at the outlet end of each compartment and all of which being connected with a source of electrical energy, a signal connected with the flanges and source of electrical energy, and a circuit closer for 115 eachv compartment to make contact with one of the flanges to com lete` a. circuit -to the signal upon removal o a package from any one of the compartments, a cash drawer in the casing, and electrical means for actuat- 120 ing the signal upon opening or closing of the cash drawer.

4. In combination, a cabinet having a plurality of compartments for retaining ackages in a position for removal there rom, 125 singly, each of the compartments having a metallic wall electrically connected in series and. arranged to be connected with the source of electrical energy a movable contact atllic wall, abutments dis- 130 posed at the discharge end of the compartments and all of Which being electrically connected in series and arranged to have electrical connection with the source of electrical energy, the abutments necessitating liftingof the packages against the circuit closers when removing them from the compartments and thereby causing the circuit closers to engage the abutments upon removal of a package from any compartment.

5. In a dispensing apparatus, a cabinet having an open front, a plurality of inclined compartments extending transversely through the cabinet to the open front, a metallic frame secured to the front and eX- tending around the edges of the latter, metallic abutments carried thereby to prevent articles from gravitating from the compartments, and each of which carrying a conductor strip arranged within each of the compartments, means for connecting the conductor strips to the source of electrical energy, a signal to be connected 'to said source of electricalv energy, and a contact in each compartment to engage one of the contact strips to complete a circuit to the signal upon removal of a package from any one of the compartments. c n

' EDWIN B. J ELKS.

JOSEPH W. HARNER. 

